So, you want to become a driving instructor
This article will be of interest to you if you want to become a qualified driving instructor
Or at least if you think you do! This article is designed to be a warts and all look at the driving instruction industry
and what it takes to be a good driving instructor
The rewards are out here in different ways, but are they the rewards that you are looking for and are you prepared to put up with the hassles of the job?
Let us see. The first thing that I feel obliged to point out is that loads of people every year respond to glossy advertisements in newspapers and magazines which promise a massive guaranteed income along with a car. They always point out that there are no qualifications necessary for becoming a driving instructor other than a fairly clean driving licence which has belonged to you for long enough and of course, and how could I forget, a large cheque to pay for the training.
Correct me if I am wrong, and it has happened upon occasion, but do they not have an interest in making you believe that it is all so cut and dried? If anyone can do it then why is it that in recent years less than ten percent of potential instructors that have started part one training actually go on to become driving instructors? Maybe, just maybe, they change their minds and no longer wish to have a large income and car guaranteed for them. On the other hand there just may be more to it than meets the eye. Bear with me.
There are a myriad of misconceptions about this industry. We are all rich. Nobody ever met a poor driving instructor did they? We don't have to do much once qualified. Telling learners where to go can't be that difficult can it and besides, once they have got to grips with the car controls they pretty much pick it up themselves don't they? Don't they? Oh, very well then.
What personal qualities do I need?
The list below may not be that long but take a little time to think about how absolutely essential all of them are and ask yourself if you have them. If not then maybe your future lies elsewhere.
If you are thinking of becoming an Approved Driving Instructor then you will definately require all of the following. This top ten is not in any particular order. All of the qualities as I have already said are essential.
1) Patience: - I can hear you all chorus, 'Obviously' as you read this first entry on the list. Do you realise how much patience is required on an hour by hour, day by day basis when teaching? You are going to have to take people through some things again and again. There are pupils out there who are not really motivated to learn to drive in the first place and it is not your place to tell them off. Some pupils need constant reminders about basic details while they are concentrating on the more complex issues. Did I say some?
2) Reliability: - Your pupils are not your friends. They care not one jot what is happening in either your professional or personal life and why should they? They expect you to turn up on time, in a suitable vehicle and in a reasonable frame of mind to tackle the job at hand. If you are the sort of person who will turn over in bed and lie in at the expense of your pupils lesson then please do something else for a living. Pretty please!
3) Punctuality: - Don't give them excuses, give them a full lesson. Your pupils will not fail to notice, or forgive you, if you constantly arrive at their lessons late. They may well have perfectly valid reasons for wanting their lessons to finish on time and therefore start on time as well so that they can take the maximum advantage from their time with you. A lax attitude to punctuality on your behalf will lead to a healthy flow of pupils, unfortunately not in the direction that you desire, away from you to other driving schools.
4) Honesty: - It will happen that pupils will pay you in advance for lessons. They have to be able to trust you to deliver those lessons once paid for without being diddled out of one 'by accident'.
5) Opinionated: - Defined by the dictionaries as being, 'obstinate in your opinions'. This is something that I hold as a positive character trait for an approved driving instructor. There is no point at all in waivering in your opinion at the end of a lesson when you are debriefing your pupil. They need an accurate representation of what you believe their skills and faults to be. An instructors tuition vehicle is definately not a democracy.
6) Diplomacy: - Particularly if you are well qualified in the opinionated stakes. Whilst not a democracy your tuition vehicle has got to provide a balanced learning environment. Upsetting people at any stage of their lesson is not a good thing. They need positive reinforcement and encouragement far more than they need to be told that they are crap. If they are then tell them of course but lead them there rather than smacking them in the face with the cold reality. For example, 'Your use of the vehicles controls are not as gentle as they might be' would be better received than, 'What the hell do you call that? The clutch came up so fast there I thought we had been rammed by a lorry!'
7) Studiousness: - Nobody knows everything. Not even you! A good driving instructor is always on the lookout for ways to improve their performance. From better or just different ways to explain things right through to totally new approaches to age old problems. This is not a subject where you can learn it once and be set for life. Driving conditions change constantly and over the years as conditions change on the roads then so by default does the recommended driving style. This is a constantly evolving subject.
8) Restraint: - On several levels you will need this. There is always someone who has been everywhere, seen everything and done it all before you and better too. But they can't drive as well as you so take heart fellows and smile while you help them through the trials of being a learner. In all societies there are prats and wherever you live will be no different I assure you. I know without asking that you know people whom you consider to be so thick that you wonder who reminds them to breathe in a morning and so arrogant that you wish they didn't. We all know someone like this and they generally have driving licences.
You must remember one thing: - Your opinion on matters other than those pertaining to teaching your pupils to drive is not required.
9) Self control: - Dual controls are wonderful aren't they? You will be an absolute liability to your pupil if your feet constantly twitch over them every time a plane passes overhead. Caution is great but don't overdo it.
The operation of other contols by the instructor should also be kept to a minimum. Irritating habits are something that you should identify and just stop doing. Tapping pens or fingers on the interior surfaces of the vehicle, whistling or singing under your breathe, saying the same thing three times every time when one will do, fidgeting in your seat, talking about themselves, talking meaningless drivel. There are more. Shall I go on? No point really and by the way, do any of the instructors reading this recognise any of their fellow professionals by their traits here? Themselves maybe. Only a thought.
10) Discipline: - Quick March! Left, right, left, right..... no not that kind. Personal discipline in making certain that the car and yourself are always ready for the lessons in the day ahead. Professional discipline in making sure that you always give the best quality instruction that you can even when you don't feel like it no matter how good the reason. Your mind might want to be elsewhere for any number of reasons but you are not considering lowering the lesson fee are you, so maybe you should discipline yourself to concentrating on the job in hand.
There are ten qualities that you need to start you off with. Some people will object to one or more of the above but I am not out to win any populatity contests here. You are considering making a very big decision. You deserve to know the truth.
What are the rewards of being a successful driving instructor?
As a self employed worker you make your own choices, take responsibility for your own affairs and enjoy the rewards of your own labour.
Your time is your own. If there are reasons why you do not wish to work at certain times of the day then you can work around them. The decision whether or not to work weekends is yours to make. When the time comes that you need a break there are no holiday forms to fill in. No bad tempered boss to ask and no quota system to fit in with. The times in the past that I have had to work christmas eve and boxing day because more preferred employees had their holiday forms processed first makes me sick. No more though. I am now the master of my own destiny. This part of it anyway.
The money is not bad. The current hourly rate for a driving instructor is not bad is it? Multiply it by the number of hours that you intend to work and the result will be a big number. There are expenses to be taken from that but the net amount is definately worth the trouble. Previous to being an instructor I came from a background of quite low paid work so for me the jump was quite substantial. If you are in better paid employment then the figures may need looking at a little closer.
The work is interesting. If you apply yourself to it every lesson is a challenge. How do you get the best out of every pupil? They are all different in their own ways and those differences make the job a challenge. Applying the techniques that you will learn and mixing them with the qualities listed above and the result is that no two lessons are ever the same. Even on an ordinary lesson it feels good when you manage to help someone achieve something that they have had a problem with. You will not be as delighted as your pupil on the day that they pass their driving test but they would not have accomplished it without you. The feeling of job satisfaction is one that no previous employment of mine can compete with.
So what are the hassles?
Are you sitting comfortably?
If you choose to be self employed you will experience some flat spots in your working pattern. Times when you would like to be working but no-one wants a driving lesson. The telephone does not seem to be ringing and, if it continues for long enough you will begin to worry about it. An A.D.I licence is no good at all if you do not have enough customers to keep the wolf from the door. It seems to be the case for many a driving instructor that when they are fully booked their home seems like a telephone exchange. When they have spaces however the eerie silence is more reminiscent of a church between services.
Cancellations are the bane of an instructors life. We need to do the lessons to support our families and pay the bills. Our pupil on the other hand has decided to go shopping, get their hair done, buy a book, have a meal out, anything in fact rather than show some commitment to learning a skill that will undoubtedly change their lives. The next person that cancels because they do not feel quite up to it or because they do not feel like it today will not be the first. The hardest bit is pretending that you don't really want to rip their arms and legs off and accept that their hobby is more important to them than your livelihood when they ring. Sometimes you have to let them go if they cancel too often.
I will take a swinging guess that you know someone who you would classify as being irritating beyond belief. Someone whos company is to be avoided if possible and around whom you will always be doubly busy with earth shattering consequences awaiting you if you do not get some important task done. I will also guess that that particular person has a driving licence and therefore probably had a driving instructor. Feel sorry for that person. That person male or female was trapped in a metal box with the irritant for a defined period of time on a regular basis with no real hope of escape. Even murderers get time off for good behaviour. Do you still want to be a driving instructor?
If you are prepared to do a spot of research on Google to confirm this you will find that White Line Fever is either a film made in America in 1975 or a book about Lemmy from the rock band Motorhead. I submit that white line fever is in fact a condition not unknown to driving instructors or long distance lorry drivers. The symptoms are simply the white lines that you continually see superimposed on the surfaces of whatever you may currently be looking at because you have spent so much time on the road that they are indelibly etched upon your brain. If you want to make a decent living then you are going to work a lot of hours.
The Driving Standards Agency bless their little cotton socks were sent to try us by a benevolent god who definately has a sense of humour. They allow the public to train each other if they wish and blame the professional instructors for the low pass rate. Cheers guys. I could go on to other areas of concern here but a state of soporific depression would set in so I cannot be bothered. Please forgive me.
Traffic can be a problem. When you spend the vast majority of your week in a car you notice the various traffic patterns that make up the ebb and flow of existance in suburbia. Then there are roadworks. Need I say any more? Roadworks are only one example of course but the point here is that any delays at all cost you time. You need to be on time for your pupils because they don't like it if you are late. They may understand but being on time is better.
It is easy work though isn't it?
You are taking the piss now aren't you?
In short, NO!
Training to become a driving instructor
Your choice of trainer is crucial. Do you need to go with a large school of motoring or would an independent give you the best training? There are financial considerations as well.
I would most certainly not even consider any deal where I was asked to find the whole training fee up front. No way.
At the very least you should be able to pay for the three parts of the training one at a time. For parts two and three you should look for someone who will let you pay on a lesson by lesson basis. There are some out there and their number will grow. Make a point of finding out what training is available in your area and weigh up the pros and cons carefully before you invest.
The drop out rate and failure rate for people who register their intent to become driving instructors is astronomical.
I have seen much discussion on this subject on internet discussion boards and taken part in such discussions first hand. People do underestimate exactly how much of their time this training is going to take up, especially in the latter stages. There are no short cuts anywhere along the way. You will need to apply yourself and work very hard. Nothing else will get you through.
It is this lack of either preparation or commitment that causes the drop outs. You can do it if you are prepared to re-arrange your life a little and make any necessary sacrifices to fit in the training and practice.
part one: - the theory test
If you look around the internet you will find several driving schools offering part one training at ridiculous prices. All that they are going to do is supply you with some reading material and tell you to read it. If you have any questions they will of course answer them. Big deal.
This test bears no relation to the theory test that your pupils will take. You need to give correct answers to eighty five out of a hundred questions where the question base is split into four different sections and you must maintain an average mark of eighty five percent or over in all four sections.
part two: - testing your own driving ability
This takes up an hour and you will need to show that you can drive to an advanced standard. Instruction will definately be required before you attempt this test. You will not believe how fussy your trainer is going to be or how accurately they will make you drive. Pay close attention. The rules that you learn here form the basis of your instruction on the part three.
The more practice that you can get for this test the better. If you have the time simply take your car out and practice. Do not let other things get in the way. This is very important.
part three: - testing your ability to instruct
This is the one that people have to work the hardest for. Remembering all of the points is only one half of the equation. Making the examiner tick the boxes which show that you have covered the required points is only part of the story. The instructor characteristics and application of the I.A.R routine (Identification of mistakes, Analysis of why the mistake was made, Remedial action to make sure that it does not happen again) are if anything more important.
The training for this part needs to be extensive and rigorous. There are no shortcuts. You will benefit from finding a few friends or relatives that you can practice on. You cannot work too hard on the part three. This will be the most expensive part of the qualification process. This is easily justified by the number of hours that you will spend in the car, hopefully on a one to one basis with your instructor.
It is hard. If anyone tells you different they are lying. Quote me if you like.
To have or not to have a trainee licence?
When you have satisfied certain requirements you are allowed to apply for a trainee licence. This gives you the privilege of being able to start teaching the public in exchange for money legally before you have fully qualified as a driving instructor.
This is a contentious issue and one which to an extent divides the industry. Properly controlled this can be seen as a good thing for the trainee instructor. Unmonitored it can be a nightmare for both the trainee and the members of the public who lets face it, are paying the bill.
I am taking this oportunity to put forward a few points for your consideration. They are by no means exhaustive and are intended only as food for thought. If they help you make a decision as to whether or not to apply for a trainee licence great. If not, no harm done.
This is something that you should be considering when you choose a trainer: -
What support do they offer if you do decide to take up the trainee licence option? You may decide to and if you do then you will need some support to make the most of it. If they are not speciic about what support they offer ask them to be more specific. Quite often the answer is none. Suprised? Don't be, but don't be caught out either. Ask questions of the trainer that you choose whether it be an individual or an organisation.
Is it fair on the public?
Yes and no. No because they are not getting a qualified professional that they could get elsewhere. Yes because as long as you have been properly prepared by your trainer there should be no problems. You are simply gaining some much needed practical experience to increase your confidence before taking the part three exam.
My own point of view here is that it depends upon the trainee.
The trainer should tell them whether or not they are suitable for a trainee licence and have the power to say no to those that are not. As things stand they do not have this power. After a certain number of lessons has been completed a trainee can ask their trainer to sign the form stating how many hours that they have had and off it goes to Nottingham. The public deserves better than this. I am happy that trainee licences are available. I just think that the rules for getting one and having your progress checked regularly need reforming.
Does it help you?
Yes, as long as you have been properly prepared for it and are ready to take on the responsibility of teaching the public. That last bit may seem obvious but let me remind you that up to this point you have been practising by teaching a professional driving instructor how to drive. Not much going to go wrong there then. Pulling up outside the house of your first pupil is a different experience altogether. You will gain in confidence as your pupils learn. You will become more comfortable with your teaching techniques and develop your style quicker than you ever would without a trainee licence.
Unless the trainee instructor is properly prepared for a trainee licence it can work against them.
I held a trainee licence but I would not have taken it without my tutor (hi Cliff) agreeing that I was good enough and not going to be a liability to the public.
Is there enugh regulation?
There are two options available to a trainee. They can undertake to have more lessons with their trainer as normal and not be supervised in the car when they are out with pupils or they can go for the supervision option where their trainer sits in on a certain number of lessons and feeds back to them afterwards, identifying and advising on any points that need attention.
From my own observations I believe that the first option is the popular one.
Unmonitored trainees are out there without anyone having a clue how good they are in the car with real pupils. To me this is madness. I have taught pupils who have been taught if you would call it that by an unmonitored trainee and they have definately lost out by it. The public pays the bills and is therefore entitled to the quality of training that they are paying for.
I am quite happy to share the road with trainee licence holders as long as they are regularly monitored by their tutors. It is better for them by far, and better for the paying public too.
Should I join an existing school or start as an independent straight away after qualifying?
Take your pick. Personally I started out with a franchise then gave it up after a couple of years to go independent. I have never looked back and do not regret either decision. As with any other decision there are positives and negatives which need to be considered. I will try to cover a few of these now.
Franchises.
If you should decide to take out a franchise then you get several advantages.
1) With some franchises the car is provided and replaced regularly: - Any fleet which provides vehicles will have a regular replacement schedule for their vehicles. You will never be left driving a vehicle that is very high mileage with the associated servicing problems that this brings. Driving instructors do put wear and tear on a car faster than other road users and when a vehicles mileage starts to get higher niggly little things tend to keep going wrong. Not on a fleet car though. You don't keep it that long.
2) Advertising is taken care of by someone else: - This saves you a lot of hassle and expense. After all, where would you advertise? Do you really want to bear the cost of expensive advertising on your own?
3) Someone else has to answer the telephone and deal with the public: - No answering the mobile in the car. Every driving instructor knows that this practice is unethical but many independents find it necessary to pay less attention to their pupils so that they can conduct their business. Some members of the public are even thicker than normal when you put them onto a telephone. Will you really miss those calls?
4) There are usually different choices to suit different requirements: - One size does not always fit all. It is normal for a fleet to have variable fees available to meet the requirements of instructors who may need different things from their franchise.
5) You are not on your own. If you want to discuss something there will be someone there who will help out: - It can be a daunting time when you are on your own if you feel unsure about something. What do you do, ask the competition? At least with a fleet you are a member of a team. If you have any questions no matter how trivial they seem to you there should be an ADI around who will make some time to help you. Particularly useful when you are new.
6) You are still your own boss: - It pays to remember this. Nobody can tell you where and when you are going to work. It is true that the fussier you are about the areas that you are prepared to cover the less potential work there is available but the decisions are still yours to make.
The main disadvantage of being with a franchise is the weekly cost. You have to balance what you get in respect of what you pay and then make your decision. Some franchises also insist on regular progress reports or visits to the office for various reasons while others are more relaxed about this sort of thing. There are many franchises available. It is best to compare some and see which one is best suited to your requirements.
Independence.
If you should decide to be an independent then you get several advantages also.
1) Nobody has any say over you what so ever: - It is all yours. All of the decisions and responsibilities, all of the credit. You have achieved a state of being that others can only dream about in being your own boss and you are financially viable too. Hopefully.
2) You do not have to pay a franchise fee: - You will see the fleet cars on the road every day and be pleased that you are not paying the franchise fee that they incur.
3) You can drive the car of your choice instead of a fleet car: - Some fleets limit their instructors to a particular vehicle. You are in charge of the purchasing policy and replacement cycles so the showrooms are waiting for you when the time comes.
4) You can change company policy whenever it suits you: - If there is something that you do not like about the way in which you work the changes are yours to make.
5) The price increases when you say it does and the increase only benefits you: - Pricing is always a touchy subject with independents. How much to charge? Hmmm. The benefits are yours though but be careful. Charge too much and the work dries up.
The public can be a bit of a pain if you are an independent. You should not use a mobile but are you going to break the law for a customer? Are you going to tell your pupil to follow the road ahead while you take a call that may improve your income? Nobody will leave a message on the answer machine so you might as well save any money that you have thought of spending on one of those.
For a successful driving instructor with a good reputation then the rewards are there for the independent instructor. This is the instructor who still gets the telephone calls when the work dries up a little, which it does for a while every now and again. If people in general are finding that money is tight then driving lessons are one of the first things that get put on the back burner.
Any instructor can make money in the good times. There are times when customers are ringing around frustrated trying to get in with anyone at all just to get a driving lesson. The successful instructors are the ones who are still working when the others are at home waiting for the telephone to ring.
I have tried both methods of operation in the past and found the pleasures and the pitfalls.
Independence is great if you are a popular instructor otherwise you need a hobby to fill in the very expensive gaps that you will be left with. This option is not for the feint hearted especially if you have a family to keep. I found the fanchise deal that I was offered to start with unflexible and the franchise operator was unwilling to change it in any way and this was what spurred me to try independence.
Why does it all cost so damn much?
There is no such thing as cheap when it comes to doing anything whem you want to be a driving instructor. If you think otherwise then you may successfully delude yourself but the reality will strike home all to quickly as soon as you start to look at prices for anything to do with this industry. Below I have detailed some of the reasons why being a driving instructor costs so damn much.
Nothing to do with the driving instruction industry is cheap. Our cars seem to have lower residual values than other peoples. Why this is bemuses me as a mile on my car is much the same as a mile on anyone elses.
Insurance costs seem to rise disproportionately with the risk assured when you consider the fact that the people carrying the insurance are all advanced drivers and profesional instructors with specialy adapted cars to boot. I would put it to you that a learner in an instructors vehicle is even safer (and therefore less of a risk to an insurance policy) than almost anyone else on the road.
Petrol and diesel fuel costs do not go down in price as many times in a year as they go up. As we are on the road more than most people it is fair to assume that we pay a fair amount of tax to the chancellor for the privilege.
Advertising is never cheap. No matter where you decide to do it the cost incurred adds up over time. A seemingly cheap advertisement in a local paper can work out to be expensive when you bear in mind that the weekly or monthly cost has to be multiplied to calculate the annual total. That is money that you might be able to spend elsewhere perhaps.
Franchise fees are not small either but what you have to look at there is the amount of backup and support that you are going to get, along with the car of course, for the money.
In summary: -
There are many costs to consider if you are thinking about joining the rest of us on the road as a driving instructor.
The rewards are out there for the ones that are properly prepared and have thought through exactly what they want to get out of being a driving instructor.
None of us are ever going to get rich doing it but if you want a job where the financial rewards are available, as are good working conditions with no two days ever being the same, and also the knowledge that there is genuinely loads of job satisfaction thrown in; then this could just be the profession for you.
